1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for thermal treatment and in particular to conditioning, drying, and/or humidifying of leather hides, furs, and the like. The invention relates further to a device for the performance of such method.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
In tanning and leather processing, conditioning is considered generally as the adjustment of certain desired properties of leather or, respectively, skins, hides, and furs by controlled interaction with environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and pressure of the air, gas or vapor atmosphere contacting the material to be treated. Furthermore, the application of energy radiation is included in such conditioning. In particular, the deformation properties such as flexibility, extensive tensioning properties and the like and of surface properties of the materials as well as further material properties important for the processing are dependent on the moisture content. A change in the moisture content and quicker evaporation processes within the porous material can also have immediately desired influences on the recited material properties. This also concerns the thermal treatment of the material as such in addition to the indirect effect of the drying. The application of energy containing radiation, such as infrared radiation in general serves as a means for heating but under circumstances it can also exert an influence on certain material properties.
The conventional processes for conditioning of the recited materials are limited substantially to drying by heating with thermal convection or infrared radiation possibly with a forced motion of the surrounding air for removal of the air humidity generated by evaporation from the material. This process method requires improvement with regard to effectiveness and in particular to the adjustibility of the desired material properties and of the amount of material processed in such equipment. The same thing holds true for the corresponding apparatus.